The Hammarabi Code and the Ten Commandments
The Hammarabi Code and the Ten Commandments are two of the most important religious texts in the world.
An supposed connection between the Babylonian Code of Hammurabi and the Ten Commandments of Moses is briefly explored in the next section of the article. The situation is one worthy of speculation, however it appears to be impossible to resolve. A historical perspective is required in order to accomplish this achievement, as is delving into a rabbit hole filled with other potential links that are equally deserving of consideration. The next section exemplifies this latter idea.
The Babylonian ruler Hammurabi (c. 1810-1750 BC) is said to have grown tired of the warfare that eventually united his empire and decided to issue a code of laws intended to serve as a generalized rule of thumb for his subjects, as well as a means of establishing a guidepost by which he could control the masses. It addressed a wide range of topics, from determining the appropriate prices for hiring human and animal labor to medical negligence, and it created sanctions for anyone who violated the law (Van De Mieroop). The Ten Commandments were written around three centuries later. Informally known as the Decalogue, these laws were given to the Hebrew prophet Moses (c. 1400 BC) by God on Mt. Sinai and during the Old Testament exodus of the Hebrews from Egypt, and are known as the Ten Commandments in the New Testament. However, despite the fact that God’s commandments are deceptively easy, admonishing the Hebrew people to follow God’s laws regarding such matters as honoring parents and refraining from murder, their significance remains as a covenant that builds a tie between God and the Israelites (Brown).
Some people believe that Hammurabi’s code is connected to Moses’ Decalogue in some way, and this appears to be a widely held belief. This suggests that the code had some influence on the formulation of the Ten Commandments in some capacity. While the idea is intriguing, it should be considered speculative. The truth is that seeking to connect the two relics is like to falling into a “rabbit hole” of history, where a variety of possible connections might actually be drawn between them. For example, it could be tempting to connect the Decalogue with the regulations that were purportedly first delivered to Adam and subsequently to Noah by God, as was the case with the Ten Commandments. The Noahide Laws, which were composed of seven laws that were very similar to those found in the Decalogue, were primarily used as guides for gentiles who chose to adhere to the tenants of the Hebrew religion. While they are viewed as universal, meaning that all people were required to follow them, the Noahide Laws were primarily used as guides for gentiles who chose to adhere to the tenants of the Hebrew religion (Rosenberg 1-2).
Although in all situations there must be a connecting point, or at the very least anything that ties Hammurabi’s code to the Decalogue, or the Noahide Laws to Moses’ tablets, there must be some sort of linking point. The Hebrew prophet Abraham, who lived in the adjacent city of Ur, was a contemporary of Hammurabi’s as well as a subject of his law.
Don’t forget to conclude with a paragraph that summarizes the primary topic of your report. It is possible that Abraham was familiar with both the codes and the Noahide Laws and that he brought them with him into Palestine in some manner. Furthermore, because Palestine was extensively impacted by Babylonian culture during this time period, it is tempting to speculate that Hammurabi’s code had an essential role in the lives of those living in Palestine during this time period as well (Duncan 277). The Covenant Code, a lengthy collection of Hebrew regulations supposed to have been revealed to Moses by God following the creation of the tablets known as the Ten Commandments, may have had a greater influence on Hammurabi’s code than on the Ten Commandments themselves. A strong similarity exists between the qualities of the laws found in the Covenant Code and the traits found in the Babylonian code (Wright 3).
Whether or if there is a relationship between the Code of Hammurabi and the Ten Commandments is still a mystery. As a result, any conjecture is open to further inquiries that seek to link other ancient or religious rules to another, and it is considered fair game in this case. However, it is a figurative rabbit’s hole because unless tangible evidence is discovered that establishes some form of relationship, whatever is claimed to have been proven or disproven will remain the stuff of legend and speculation.
References
Brown, William P., “The Ten Commandments.” In The Ten Commandments. The Decalogue, according to the Bible Odyssey, which may be found at www.bibleodyssey.org/en/passages/main-articles/the-decalogue.
– “The Code of Moses and the Code of Hammurabi. II.” – “The Code of Moses and the Code of Hammurabi.” This article is in The Biblical World, volume 23, number 4, 1904, pages. 272-278, available online at http://journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdfplus/10.1108/473377.
“The Seven Noahide Laws: Of Monkey Brains and Courts,” by Irene M. Rosenberg, is available online. Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion, vol. 6, no. 1, 2004, pp. 1-19, SSRN. papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract id=686114. Rutgers Journal of Law and Religion, vol. 6, no. 1, 2004, pp. 1-19, SSRN.
Van De Mieroop, Marc. “Van De Mieroop, Marc.” “The Code of Hammurabi,” as it is known. The Code of Hammurabi can be found at www.bibleodyssey.org/en/places/related-articles/code-of-hammurabi, which is maintained by the Society of Biblical Literature.
In 2009, David P. Wright published Inventing God’s Law: How the Covenant Code of the Bible Used and Revised the Laws of Hammurabi (PDF), published by Oxford University Press.
